Protector
by AlwaysPadfoot
Summary: On the night when You-Know-Who goes to eradicate the McKinnons from existence.


**Protector**

**AlwaysPadfoot**

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><p><strong>QLFC <strong>**Prompt**: '_the sky seemed ominously dark_'

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><p>Something was different about today for Marlene. She felt a little more on edge, the sky seemed ominously dark and it seemed as though everyone else mirrored those edgy, dark feelings. Her walls were still painted with the flickering, dark shadows that the street light outside was causing and she stared up at the plastic, glow in the dark stars that Lily had given her over five years ago now. One had fallen down in the night and was lying on the floor between the jeans and jumper she'd abandoned late in the evening. It was glowing up at her, lost and confused like a missing child. Marlene didn't want to even look at it; it just reminded her of the good times before You-Know-Who and Lily and James being in hiding.<p>

She turned over, looking across at the space where Sirius had been lying last night. He'd left a few hours ago now, since he was on call and she was not. Auror duty beckoned and she was kind of wishing that she'd gone as well.

Marlene probably lay awake for another five minutes before she heard something downstairs. She grabbed her wand and pulled on some jogging bottoms before lightly making her way to the door. Funnily enough it didn't appear that she was the only one in the hallway, because when she got there she came face to face with her father.

"Did you hear it too?" she asked.

He nodded and motioned for her to stay put whilst he crept down the hallway and towards the stairs. Marlene didn't want to stay back, but she also wasn't about to disobey her Dad either. She was joined soon after by her older brother; Ricky, who hurried behind their Dad, and her Mum, who appeared in the master bedroom doorway with her wand out and her housecoat wrapped around her. Marlene quickly realised they all couldn't be hearing things so something was about to happen.

"If anything happens, you need to go and look after Annie and get her to safety."

Marlene's eyes drifted down the corridor to the room where her four year old sister was sleeping with probably no disruption. She looked back to her Mum in disbelief. "You don't really think someth-"

All of a sudden she heard her Dad swear loudly and a blast of coloured light up the space above the stairs over screamed spells. Marlene's veins filled with that familiarly powerful mix of fear and adrenaline like she was at work or with the Order. She immediately surged forward towards the stairs, when her mother wrenched her backwards.

"What did I just say?!" she yelled over the noise beneath them.

Marlene stared at her Mum and watched the desperation filling her huge, frightened eyes before she reluctantly turned away. It was in that final split second that they went their separate ways and Marlene had to run from the fighting downstairs.

She turned back for a brief second, green filling the corridor from the stairs and a scream piercing her eardrums. Marlene stood in shock, scared into standing in complete silence. She could hear her Dad yelling and Mum screaming and the conclusion she drew was that Ricky had been hit by a killing curse. A small voice cried out behind her, shocking her into almost too sudden movement, "Marlene, what's happening?"

"Annie," Marlene warned. "Go back into your room."

"But Marls."

There was a huge explosion that shook the whole house to its very foundations and Marlene immediately spun on her heel and ran to Annie, snatching her up and slamming the door behind them.

What the fuck was she going to do? How could she apparate in this much distress without splinching herself or Annie?

She panicked, placing Annie down and pushing the dresser in front of the door. She could hear people yelling and footsteps on the stairs. There was no way that Marlene could do this, not with her family potentially lying dead downstairs. She felt sick with fear and trying not to panic in front of Annie was near impossible.

"Marls, where's Mummy and Daddy and Ricky?"

Marlene slid to her knees in front of Annie, placing her hands on her cheeks. "They're not here, Annie. They're busy."

"What's the banging?"

"I need you to stay was quiet as you can," Marlene said, keeping her wand firmly in her hand. "Can you do that for me, honey?"

Annie nodded silently.

Marlene's whole body jerked as what she suspected was a door being blown in further down the corridor echoed through the house. Her ears rang and her eyes widened as she stared down at her sister without saying a word. There was something deep inside her, telling her that this was it. She couldn't save her little sister from a group of Death Eaters; even she was honestly still a kid at heart. Marlene hadn't even let herself grow up yet, she still jumped up and down at Quidditch matches and still dived into everything head first without thinking.

There was yelling out in the hallway, more explosions and bangs slamming into the walls and doors.

And then everything went silent.

There had never been a time when Marlene truely experienced silence like she was now. The momentary lull in noise created a false sense of security in her. Were they gone? Had they really left without checking every room? They surely knew that Marlene and Annie were living in the house, or at least Annie was. Maybe because she was just four –

Suddenly there was a slam behind her that knocked Marlene off her feet and into Annie. She quickly stood, pushing her sister behind her. There was now a large, smoking hole where the door had once been.

"I'm sorry," she whispered before raising her voice. "Hold my hand and close your eyes, Annie."

She felt Annie shaking and pushing her body against Marlene's legs. A cloaked figure blocked the doorway and Marlene held her wand out. She cast a sheild charm, but she knew that wouldn't hold off the killing curse.

A voice snarled over the ringing in her ears, "Get on your knees, McKinnon."

"It's a good job I can't swear in front of young kids, otherwise you'd be surprised by what I'd be replying with right now." Marlene sneered, trying to stop the tears from running down her cheeks at the prospect of not being able to protect them both.

"Very well," the figure sneered, raising his wand above him.

Marlene closed her eyes. Green flashed behind her eyelids. She felt Annie grip her hand and then she felt cold, so much cold.

"Marlene?"


End file.
